This study set out to determine the duration of maintenance treatment with therapeutic risperidone dose in schizophrenia. In a multi-center, open label, randomized, controlled study design, patients with schizophrenia who were clinically stabilized following an acute episode were randomly assigned to a 'maintenance group' (optimal therapeutic doses continued for at least 1 year), a 4-week group (optimal therapeutic doses continued for 4 weeks followed by a 50% dose reduction that was maintained for at least 11 months) or a 26-week group (optimal therapeutic doses continued for 26 weeks followed by a 50% dose reduction for at least another 6 months).